


Golden Moments

by Blue_Sparkle



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Nwalin Week, one shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-06-10 07:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6944554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of One Shots for Nwalin Week 2016</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Silver or Gold

The gold stretched all around them like an endless sea; avalanches came sliding down ever so often when the old piles couldn’t bear the weight of the metal coins and trinkets anymore and their echoes could be heard even where no fire shone. The overbearing presence of the gold was so strong that Nori could barely even feel it anymore. Used to be his senses were so finely honed that he could pick out the one true coin among a pile of fool’s gold, but now he was too numb to feel anything for it. It was as if someone had robbed the sound or sight from him. 

“I don’t like this,” Nori whispered, his hand twitching nervously in his lap where he sat. The other was still, calmed by Dwalin’s rough one holding it, as the warrior slipped another beautiful ring on his finger. 

Dwalin was good at telling what would suit him, and he was picky in what he would adorn Nori with, even if Nori himself barely paid any attention to it. 

“Everyone’s getting… _stuck_ on this treasure. They’re _hoarding_ and we’re not safe to enjoy anything yet. Something is wrong, it just feels so off.”

The weight of an emerald and gold necklace settled on Nori’s chest as he spoke in his worry; thinking back to how everyone in the company was hoarding something, their hands deep in the treasure that they fought so hard for, the treasure that was now theirs, and that was reclaimed for their people. 

Nori couldn’t, much as he wanted to feel at ease. 

It was too much to steal, and he knew he couldn’t go stuff it in his pockets and admire it on himself either, as there was nowhere to run. This was too much gold, too much treasure to just be touched by a lowly thief as him. It couldn’t possibly belong to him, and once the true owner came back and saw him with it, he would be done for quicker than he could explain that he had never meant to-

The sharp buzz of amethyst and gold against his finger tore Nori out of his spiralling thoughts. As numb as he was to the mass of treasure around them now, he could still pick out jewels as this like faint stars in a dark cloudy night. 

Slowly he turned his eyes until they met Dwalin’s, shining with the reflection of the riches around them. There were rings on each of his fingers now, and bracelets on his wrists, and Dwalin already had a circlet in his hand to add to that. There was nothing Dwalin had picked out for himself yet. 

“What are you doing,” Nori asked, tired and already feeling his heart think just as his skin adjusted to the gems on his fingers. 

“Handpicking a treasure for you,” Dwalin said, and his voice was so deep and rough that Nori felt shivers run down his spine. “To stand out.”

“Why. There’s so much, who cares, we need to think of other things now. Nothing stands out here.”

“You do, don’t you? One always has to adorn their treasure with suitable riches to make it shine more and emphasize its importance.”

The way Dwalin’s eyes crinkled in a smile was the same way that usually filled Nori with comfort and peace, and for the first time in his life all it did was make him feel like he was all alone in a desolate wasteland, with no help in sight. 

He didn’t protest when the next ring was slipped on his finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Art here  
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/144818750328/


	2. At Home on the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: At Home or On the Road

A sea of fire stretched out before them as the sun set over the mountains and only the bleating of some of their goats and Dwarfish voices disturbed the usual noises of these heights. 

Dwalin threw crumbs from his bread into the fire ever so often, after having just made it. Everyone in their little travel company had started on those as soon as they’d picked a place to stay the night, as it would get rather could in very little time. Nori barely cared for them though; he knew he would be warm even if he didn’t have the flames. 

He was so used to travelling on his own when there were pursuers too close to make a campfire, and he was used to travelling with people that weren’t worth to be close to in order to be closer to the fire as well. 

With Dwalin neither of these things were an issue. 

Nori cuddled closer against Dwalin’s side and felt Dwalin lean into him as well. 

They were far from Ered Luin, and even further from that hazy mountain Nori didn’t know if he remembered or only dreamed of, and yet the dusty rocky road with the cold wind rushing by felt like the better place of these picks. 

It didn’t even matter _where_ he was, or who was around or even where they were heading somehow. Just like this, at the scarred gruff warrior’s side Nori felt safer than anywhere in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art here:  
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/144868436463


	3. Weapons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Weapons or Tools

“How can you not know how to use weapons?”

Dwalin’s outrage was thick in his voice as he blurted it out, and several Dwarves from their caravan looked over in mild interest.

Nori shrugged as he nibbled at his apple, comfortable near the campfire and at ease with their company and even that unusually tall warrior. He’d known Dwalin for a while, though this was the first time they spent this much time together due to their travel.

“I have my knives and a mace, I know how to stab people with anything sharp even without a proper training. That’s enough for me.”

Dwalin shook his head again.

“What if you lose your weapons? What if there’s nothing in reach but a hammer or an axe or spear? One needs to be able to use _anything_ if it comes to that.”

With a flick of his wrist what remained of Nori’s apple landed in the fire, where it sizzled up briefly.

“I never lose my knives.”

Dwalin frowned, obviously not pleased with that answer. It was true though; it was near impossible for Nori to lose _all_ his knives, and even at his worst he’d still had at least one hidden somewhere under his clothes even after a rough fight.

“You should at least know the basics so you’re not caught off guard in battle,” Dwalin insisted again, and rose to his feet.

Nori watched him walk to his pack, where the warrior kept the weapons that weren’t laid out in reach of his bedroll. He picked up the big hammer that was his secondary weapon and returned to where Nori lounged.

“Stand, I’ll show you what you need to know.”

A part of Nori wanted to protest and remain sitting comfortably, but something about that warrior’s earnest and serious expression as he held out his weapon made Nori reconsider.

There was nothing he could protest about the situation when Dwalin made him take up the hammer, and as rough hands covered Nori’s to adjust his grip just every so slightly. Nothing to object to when he was pressed with his back against Dwalin’s chest, strong arms encircling him as Dwalin spoke of how to properly handle a hammer and slowly moving to make Nori copy the motions. Dwalin spoke so quietly too, his voice rumbling straight through Nori’s core.

He’d never be in need of using the skills Dwalin was teaching him now, and a soft smile spread over Nori’s face as he leaned back just that little bit further.


	4. Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Flirting or Fighting

Nori didn’t move an inch as Dwalin paced before him in the cell. He didn’t flinch or turn or speak as Dwalin ranted, his words resounding in the small space and the stone hallways of the jail. He merely crouched on the old mattress, letting Dwalin’s words roll off his back.

There really wasn’t much space to contain two Dwarves in the cell they’d put Nori in for now, and Dwalin’s pacing was all the more erratic for only being able to take two steps at a time without coming closer to Nori. He always made sure to be just far enough away that he couldn’t easily grab Nori from where he stood; whether it was to be less threatening to the thief or to keep himself from doing something here, Nori wasn’t sure.

He never had had anyone yell at him like this, in such a confined space, and be _right_ about their anger too. Dori had been dripping with disappointment and anger and all that, in their little kitchen each time he’d had to fetch Nori from jail, and sometimes some Dwarf Nori had problems with would yell at him from another cell until some guard told them to shut up.

It had always been _so_ easy to ignore the words or tune it out as it was something he’d heard before. Not with Dwalin.

Dwalin had asked to see Nori as soon as he’d heard, and the guards had let him enter the cell and even had given him the privacy of moving down the hall. They’d at least had the decency to look nervous about that.

He’d been so confused for at first, begging Nori to say that this wasn’t true, even if Dwalin already was standing there to see it. He’d demanded for Nori to explain, had yelled and ranted, his voice growing louder and his words growing harsher as Nori merely sat in his corner, not even turning to look at Dwalin at all.

He’d demanded to know why Nori would _do_ such things, why he’d actually turned out to be much more than just a troublemaker, had accused Nori of only being with him for some ulterior motive, or cheating him in this, had begged for Nori to give some explanation, had raged because surely Nori didn’t need anything so urgently to go and steal…

Perhaps it was that this was Dwalin who was yelling at him like that, with his hurt and rage thick in his voice. Because Dwalin hadn’t ever known that Nori was so low a Dwarf to be thrown in a jail and deserve it, and know he wouldn’t care for Nori the way he had before. _Dwalin_ was the first who could drop him and never look back without any issues, and Nori could barely stand the thought.

It had been such a stupid thing too. Mori had He’d just gone to have a drink in some old seedy tavern, just out to chat and watch people and maybe gamble a little bit, but not with much. He’d been a little bit drunk already when he met some of his old friends he hadn’t seen in this part of Ered Luin for a while. He’d been too bold and hot and edged on by the night out, so he told them yes when they whispered about some heist they were planning and would gladly share the loot of.

They’d all been a little bit _too_ drunk to get away on time, and Nori had found himself slammed into some barrels and then taken away to sit in a cell.

At least he’d been quite sober by the time Dwalin heard and showed up. 

It hurt more than that first time Dori had come to bring him home, as Nori had been mostly scared then. It hurt more because at least Dori wouldn’t leave, and Ori would still be there to love his brother no matter what Nori thought to do.

Eventually Dwalin’s words stopped, and he just stood there in silence. Nori didn’t dare look up at him to see his face, and after an angry scoff Dwalin called for the guards to take him out of there.

He was long gone by the time Nori allowed himself to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art for it is here:  
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/144962774748/


	5. Comfort and Injury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Injury or Comfort

One of Óin’s apprentices made sure that Dwalin’s bandages were bound right before bowing and leaving the little room they’d given him. There was a cup of some pain relieving medicine and water to chase it down with on the table by the bed, but Dwalin said that he didn’t need it for now when he’d been given it.

Nori sat by his side on the bed, careful not to touch him where he was bruised up, though the real injuries lay on his other side so Nori wasn’t likely to do that. He also wasn’t likely to accidentally catch a glimpse of them, unless he looked for them deliberately.

He’d not seen Dwalin for nearly a month, as he’d decided to sign on as a guard protecting a trade caravan going away from Erebor, and Dwalin had only been two days worth of slow travel from home, already on the in the Lonely Mountain’s lands, when the message came. They’d ran into some highwaymen it had just said, and several Dwarves had been injured and in need of attention despite the provisional look over from their own healer.

And now Dwalin was laying in bed, stuck there for at least a day – two if he couldn’t behave. Bickering with Óin, joking with the other healers when they came to change his bandages and make sure that he hadn’t pulled any stitches, and a warm happy smile for Nori, as if this was really just a small inconvenience.

“This might leave a scar,” Dwalin said as Nori settled closer against him, his hand resting on Dwalin’s chest just over where his bandages started. He flexed his bad arm and winced. “Or maybe not, it’s not that deep I think.”

Nori suppressed the pained noise that tried to rip out of his throat.

“A little lower and this might have killed you,” he whispered, moving his hand over where the blow must have fallen; a missed attack that nevertheless had ripped into Dwalin’s shoulder and bruised up his chest.

Dwalin laughed at that.

“That’s hardly the worst I’ve ever had. Besides, the Man was dead before he had finished his blow, I saw to that, I didn’t expect him to try and attack rather than shield himself from my blow.”

He raised his arm to wrap around Nori awkwardly.

“I end up in fight with worse odds all the time, this was just dumb luck on the Man’s side, you know it’s not that bad.”

Dwalin was still smiling, and Nori’s heart clenched. Of course he’d known that Dwalin was a guard, and he knew what that meant. But this… It was hard knowing that he was the kind of Dwarf who would run _into_ danger instinctively rather than run away and fight dirty and look out for _himself_ , like a sensible Dwarf ought to. That was what made him a good guard, and what made it hard for Nori to be betrothed to Dwalin and remain calm about this.

The shuddering breath Nori took to keep his tears from falling was loud enough for Dwalin to freeze and realize that Nori had been more worried than he previously thought.

“I am fine,” he said, his voice serious now. “I’m not that hurt, I promise.”

He reached out to cup Nori’s cheek with his hand and Nori clung to it hard. He had two days of not knowing what had happened to Dwalin exactly, and this familiar touch calmed him a little bit at least.

“I promise, I’m not getting myself truly hurt. I’ll always come back whole to you, I promise.”

The comfort of that promise wasn’t much, and Nori knew too well that it wasn’t something anyone could really keep. For now he could cling to Dwalin’s hand though, and _know_ that things were fine this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art is here:  
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/145017613368


	6. Laketown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Beorn's House or Laketown

After nearly being drowned in a river, getting skewered by Orcs, being threatened with a bow and then buried under a pile of fish before being made to swim under a house to get to a safe place unnoticed, the fact that Nori’s hair was tangled up badly and had fish scales stuck in there should be nothing to care for. Perhaps the long chain of stressful events had simply made Nori’s patience run out after all. 

The daughter of the Man who’d agreed to assist them for good pay had given out old rags and blankets, as well as helping the Dwarves make some space to wash and mend the clothes they still could use. 

Nori wanted to be coddled and pitied, but Dori had already grabbed Ori to make sure he was fine, and both of them were trying to see what needed to be repaired. He couldn’t complain when Dwalin spotted him on his own though, to quietly offer to help him with his hair.

It was nearly too intimate a gesture to consider here, where others could see, but Nori couldn’t even care after all they’d been through recently. 

The comfort of a Dwarf’s presence behind his back was the most soothing thing Nori could imagine. Gentle hands taking care of his hair and running a wooden comb through it slowly and with carefully as not to pull and hurt Nori, Dwalin’s occasional hum as he petted Nori’s hair… 

The Mirkwood cells hadn’t been the longest Nori had ever been on his own. But they had spent several weeks trapped in the Mirkwood, feeling as if they were dead on their feet, before nearly a month worth of forced isolation while knowing their family was so close and still out of reach. Dwarves were not meant for this kind of loneliness. 

Nori could feel when his hair was back to being as soft and smooth as it should be, still damp strands falling over his shoulder and into his lap. Still Dwalin wouldn’t stop and instead kept up the slow and steady rhythm of his comb. 

As far as Nori was concerned, he might just keep it up until the world was build anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art for it is here:  
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/145060293378/


	7. Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Wedding Night or Anniversary

Clothes and pieces of gorgeous jewellery lay discarded on the floor in little piles, dropped where they’d been removed. Every single piece was worth more than Nori would have ever worn back in Ered Luin at a given moment, but here in Erebor he couldn’t even bring himself to care as he slide bracelets and clasps off. None of that was more important than having as little as he possibly could separating him from Dwalin’s touch. 

At that it was also hard for Nori to do anything but cling to Dwalin, his _husband_ , and kiss him, which didn’t lend itself to trying to get rid of his clothes at all. 

Dwalin seemed to have retained his coordination, as he managed to at least abandon his tunic and undershirt completely. 

Nori felt drunk on his sensations, his thoughts in disarray even though he’d only had a few sips of sweet berry mead through the entire night. After the wedding everything had felt like a rush, as much as Nori had enjoyed every moment of it. There hadn’t been much opportunity to share a quiet moment with Dwalin before, always accepting congratulations and dancing and receiving the traditional gifts from friends and family. 

Never in his life had Nori really imagined he’d get married to anyone, and certainly in any official way. It had never been something he cared for, just wanting to live his life as he wanted it to. When he had met Dwalin, he’d wanted to be with him for as long as both of them had fun in what they shared. Later he’d worried about that being cut short through personal differences and the way Nori was like. At some point Nori had started imagining his life at Dwalin’s side, no matter how long it went on or where it led him. As long as Dwalin was with him… It hadn’t translated into wanting to get married. 

He couldn’t possibly have imagined a grand celebration such as this back in Ered Luin. He couldn’t have imagined that Dori and Ori would attend if he ever were to get married, that Dori would embrace him with tears of happiness in his eyes and tell him how he was happy for Nori, how he was glad to welcome his intended into their family. He couldn’t _ever_ have imagined to wear a wedding cloak embroidered with gold and wear gems as a _King_ officiated the wedding and declared Nori and Dwalin married before the eyes of Mahal. 

It was more than Nori could have ever asked for. 

“Our first night as a proper couple,” Dwalin whispered into Nori’s ear as they held each other close. 

Nori stifled a laugh. 

“You’ve made me a honest Dwarf after all.”

“As if that’d ever happen,” Dwalin replied with an eye roll. 

There was such fondness in his voice, and the way he looked at Nori was so warm that Nori leaned in for a kiss and closed his eyes rather than trying to decide how he wanted to deal with that. 

He didn’t pay much attention as Dwalin carefully walked backwards and sat down on their bed, pulling Nori along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art for it is here:   
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/145111459253
> 
> Thank you so much for the reviews on this and for an amazing Nwalin Week!!


End file.
